Louisiana Sportsman

April 29, 2026

Capt. Mike Gallo caught this nice trout tightlining a glow plastic on a 3/8-ounce jig in 6 feet of water.

Winter speckled trout in Chalmette area

February 1, 2024 Rusty Tardo

Capt. Mike Gallo said one of the reasons the Chalmette area is so good in the winter is because the water is deeper and significantly warmer.[…]

Ron Castille gets his hands on bass, big and small, while fishing the Calcasieu River.

A plan for January bassin’ on the Calcasieu River

January 11, 2024 Don Shoopman

Ron Castille explains how to fish on the Calcasieu River from the Moss Bluff public ramp south to the Saltwater Barrier at West Lake.[…]

Jimmy Watt shows off the kind of crappie that make D’Arbonne popular in January.

Death, taxes and deep crappie on D’Arbonne

January 11, 2024 Kinny Haddox

Lake D’Arbonne is one of the top places to catch crappie this time of the year according to Jimmy Watt of Bastrop.[…]

George Thompson of Lafayette has a firm grip on the lip of an 8.5-pound bass he caught on an unseasonably warm day last February in the Blue Lake area at Toledo Bend. (Photo courtesy John Dean)

Bass wishes at Toledo Bend

January 11, 2024 John Dean

Toledo Bend bass anglers are hoping for a January with warmer weather and a rising pool level to start off 2024.[…]

Large, healthy trout like these can be found in the deep holes along Hwy 1 during the wintertime. (Photo courtesy Gary Burghardt)

Fish you can bank on

December 16, 2023 Terry L. Jones

Large speckled trout can be found bank fishing the deep holes along Hwy. 1 between Leeville and Grand Isle during the wintertime.[…]

Sam Jenkins selected a black skirted buzz bait to target a hungry bass patrolling water spilling from a drain into the Tchefuncte River. (Photo courtesy Sam Jenkins)

Tchefuncte River puzzle

December 14, 2023 Nick Vaccaro

Working the river between fronts and identifying the bait of choice will make a December day of fishing the Tchefuncte River more enjoyable.[…]

Bill McCarty unhooks a redfish he caught in the lower Atchafalaya River below his hometown of Morgan City.

Diversify your fishing

December 8, 2023 Don Shoopman

Morgan City outdoorsman Bill McCarty knows you can catch some hefty redfish while fishing the lower Atchafalaya River near Morgan City.[…]

Mark Ray of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and the author know if the water comes up 3- to 4-feet before January, bass like these can be caught on Carolina-rigged Flukes around inside grasslines at Toledo Bend.

Mild temps will have Toledo Bend bass anglers clocking in

December 7, 2023 John Dean

Even on colder days at Toledo Bend, take note that a 2- to 3-degree bump in the water temp can boost bass fishing success.[…]

Crankbaits like this one trick hungry largemouth right now. (Photo courtesy Todd Knight)

Try West, Middle Pearl for fall bass fishing

November 20, 2023 Nick Vaccaro

With fall upon us, Slidell angler Todd Knight targets the West Pearl and Middle River for a consistent bite waged by largemouth bass.[…]

Capt. Don Maille of Peter’s Nets Charters with some speckled trout.

Hopedale fishing is hot

November 16, 2023 Rusty Tardo

According to Capt. Don Maille of Peter’s Nets Charters, the keys to finding speckled trout this month are birds, reefs, and moving water.[…]

Capt. Lloyd Landry finds speckled trout stacked up in the interior lakes this month. (Photo courtesy Lloyd Landry)

Dularge anglers won’t have to run as far for keeper speckled trout

November 16, 2023 Joel Masson

Capt. Lloyd Landry welcomes November with open arms. He finds speckled trout stacked up in the interior lakes of Dularge this month.[…]

A bone-colored Whopper Plopper fished around grass beds called up this nice-sized bass hooked and boated by Mike Randolf.

Toledo Bend thrills

November 10, 2023 John Dean

The fall bite can’t come soon enough on Toledo Bend. It’s past time for the topwater bite to thrill so many bass anglers.[…]

Raceland Bassmaster Elite angler Tyler Rivet grew up fishing for sac-a-lait and bass in the Bayou Black area.

Bass or crappie on Bayou Black

November 7, 2023 Don Shoopman

Raceland Bassmaster Elite angler Tyler Rivet grew up fishing for sac-a-lait and bass in the Bayou Black area.[…]

John White enjoying the redfish action in Venice.

Venice fishing heats up as the October temperatures bring relief

October 5, 2023 Nick Vaccaro

While the oppressive temperatures drop and we move into October, Venice fishing not only heats up but continues to sizzle.[…]

Bill McCarty caught these in the Bayou Black area, where he’ll target them as often as possible in October, when the sac-a-lait fishing gets even better.

Marsh sac-a-lait

September 30, 2023 Don Shoopman

Bill McCarty is dreaming about cooler days and putting sac-a-lait in the boat, either from the Bayou Black area or Bateman Island.[…]

With hydrilla returning en masse to Toledo Bend, good-sized bass like this one will fall for topwaters more and more as water temperatures fall in October.

Fall on the Bend

September 30, 2023 John Dean

With hydrilla returning en masse to Toledo Bend, good-sized bass fall for topwaters more and more as water temperatures fall in October.[…]